Slip and Fall
by AtomicKokoro
Summary: During a game of frisbee, Reno falls off the edge of a high cliff and ends up in the hospital in a coma. Astro and the crew try to cope, waiting for Reno to either wake up... or not. - KeXRe kinda.
1. Chapter 1: Accident

**Slip and Fall**

**By: Atomic Kokoro**

**Storyline**

During a game of frisbee, Reno falls off the edge of a high cliff and ends up in the hospital in a coma. Astro and the crew try to cope, waiting for Reno to either wake up... or not.

**Chapter 1**

**Accident**

**Knock, knock, knock.** Reno jumped up and swung open the door. "Hello?" He nearly sung. It was going to be a good day. He was planning to hang out with the boys today, since it was Saturday: the only day of the week that all of them were available.

Reno worked as a S.I.T, or a Scientist in Training, in the Ministry of Science under the watchful eye of Doctor O'Sheay. Of course, being raised in the robot circus had it's ups and downs. One up was that he could perform acrobatics anytime, anywhere, without help. A down was that he wasn't even close to his age level in basic school. He should've been in Grade 6, but he could only work at a Kindergarden level in some subjects.

Instead of going to a public school with the rest of his friends, he stayed at the Minstry with Doctor O'Sheay to learn more about robotics. It was his choice to remain there; going to school and not knowing a single thing would be rather embarresing then staying at the Minstry and outsmarting even the most intellegent of Scientists. Learning at the Ministry also lead to hand on projects then in school.

Like Ken, he had ADHD, which meant he couldn't sit in one spot for too long. It was what kept him alive when he had distracted the guards from Abbie and the others. If he hadn't managed to get on top of the roof, they would've shot him dead. And that, on it's own, would've lead to disaster.

Also, he could only remember things by doing, which lead to the thought from O'Sheay that Reno would make his own robot for the underwater exploration, which lead to Gideon, one of Reno's closest friends who lived at the Ministry. Unfortunately, Reno couldn't say Atlas was one of them. Even though he was Astro and Zoran's older brother, the two could never see eye-to-eye, and tried to keep from being in the same building.

"Hey, Reno," his friend, Astro, said when he noticed it was Reno's face he was looking at. "You ready?"

Reno smiled the way he did when Astro learned he was a human, and turned halfway. "Yeah. In a minute." The boy sped down the hall and crashed into his door which creaked and burst open from the pressure and weight of the boy's 145 pound (assuming he's 5'3") body. He tipped foreward but quickly caught his balance before swiping up his frisbee and launching outside after Astro, slaming both doors behind him.

No doubtably, everyone was outside waiting for him. Everyone cheered and yelled and ran down the street with Reno and Astro close on their tails. They didn't need toe talk about it; they already knew where they going. They were going to the same place they always went: to the old windmill at the top of the hill.

Reno stopped while the crew spread out and yelled random words to get Reno to toss the frisbee to them. He whipped the frisbee randomly in the air and it landed in Alejo's arms, by chance. Alejo tossed it and Ken caught it. This went on for a while. The boys were panting and running and laughing, Alejo and Ambercrombie tripping over themselves to catch the flying disk.

Ambercrombie tossed the frisbee to Astro. "Over here!" Reno yelled, waving his hands in the air and running backwards. Astro tossed the frisbee. In his throw, Ken leapt to intercept the pass, causing the robot to speed up his toss, increasing the power with it. The frisbee flew threw the air like a rocket at what must've been 50 miles an hour.

Despite the speed the disk was traveling at, Reno chased after it even when it zipped over his head and leapt in the air when he figured it was in arm's reach. He glided threw the air, higher and farther then the average person, due to his acrobatic backround.

His finger curled under the lip of the disk and he cheered, kicking a foot foreward. He laughed, spinning, still in the air, and laughed at the others. "I got it!" He cheered and planted a foot behind him as he began to land.

Unfortunately, he had been too late to catch his friends scream, "Watch out!" Reno wanted to place his second foot on ground but it only met air. He felt gravity take control of his land and he began to plummet off the edge of the cliff.

He screamed in fear and heard several sounds in this order: screaming, the blasting of rockets, an explosion, another yell, and the cracking of bones. Brown, black, and grey sped upward to out of view. He could fell his legs and arms flailing in the air like noodles. Then, it was entirely black.

...

**"Doctor O'Sheay?"** Ken began, tugging the man in the white trench coat. The man, the doctor, turned around and looked down at the boy who was still in his school clothes. "Is Reno awake yet?"

The doctor shook his head. "I don't know if he ever will," he replied.

Ken looked down. Had it been a week since Reno's accident, and he still wasn't awake? He could recall what had happened rather clearly...

He remembered Reno falling backwards off the cliff, his foot missing where he had wanted it to step when he went to catch the frisbee. He remembered Astro setting his rockets to go, but something happened. They malfunctioned?

He could clearly recall Reno's scream stopping abruptently, the sounds of flesh against rock. He remembered peering over the edge of the cliff while Ambercrombie and Alejo aided Astro to his feet after his fall. At the very bottom...

Ken gasped outside of his memory and shook his head. He looked back up and noticed that he had been pushed outside of the hospital room Reno was unconscious in with the doctor. "Ken?" The doctor began, after hearing the boy's sudden gasp.

Ken shook his head again. "I'm fine," he muttered, before turning and leaving the building on his own. He had completely passed Astro and the others, who had been waiting patiently for news. Ken hadn't been the one to give it. Why, was a question he would ask for a very, very long time. Yes, Reno was a close friend of his, so it would be understandable for Ken to be like this, but maybe there was something more?

Ken didn't know, and he probably never would. Maybe he found it fasinating that a human like Reno, the boy who was raised in a circus, the boy who was raised by robots, who was in love with a princess and could jump a whole story off the ground. Who could ruin a whole cake in two seconds, who could out-run Ken (but never Astro, no matter how hard he tried), who knew everything about robotics and even made his own robot, Gideon...

How many people would be sad to know that Reno was in a coma. How quiet things would be, even if Reno was the quietest person of the group.

He remembered the look on people's faces when they learned about Reno. Mostly Gideon, who eyes went small and his beak dropped low. He was probably afraid of cliffs now. Go figure. There might have been one person who didn't was probably one he could mention well, though Atlas didn't care about anything anymore. Well, it was him; he had always been like that from the start.

Maybe he was the most hurt because he and Reno had more in common then most people took granted for. They both had ADHD, they both were athletic, they both fell in captivity of the enemy at one point. He was pretty sure Reno wasn't European if he looked hard enough. Or maybe he just had a real good tan?

Or maybe he just enjoyed Reno's company. Since both boys were very quiet and shy at some points, they talked to each other in the backround while Astro talked to whoever about the problem.

He tilted his head to the sky where a full moon was rising high above him. They were also both Cancer, their ruling planet was the moon. He remembered Reno joking about being able to jump to the moon in a single leap if he wanted to, and that he would take Ken with him, just because he was a Cancer, too.

Cloud blocked the moonlight from above and it began to pour. The night was a heavy, dreadful night. The raindrops symbolized the tears he couldn't cry. Because he had to be brave. For everyone. For Reno.

But the only thought that ran round his head was, _why had I rushed Astro?_

...

**Ken walked along the quiet road.** He had been soaked, head to toe, from the heavy rain from the thunderstorms over head. Such perfect weather for the situation and his feelings. He sorted his thoughts.

Organization was something Ken was often very good at. His room was the neatest of all the crew, whilest Ambercrombie's was the messiest. All his books and papers and stuff had been placed neatly, usually in alphabetical order for easy finding (thought it got really annoying when he couldn't think of the name of what he was looking for).

Lately though, his room had been messed up a bit. Even his desperate attempts to keep it in order when it came to mind were futile. His ADHD was the only thing that kept him from lying on his bed all day. Instead, he would go play soccor to try to get his mind straight and fine for one in his currently despressing life. But, after the game, his thoughts would wander back to Reno and he would be sad again.

He didn't know why it effected him as much as it did. Of course, when Reno had been captured by Zade, he was pretty worried, thinking Zade would kill him if they didn't show up. Of course, Reno was two years older then Ken, so being worried about the older boy seemed pretty stupid, but he couldn't help himself. Hadn't Astro been worried for the doctor's life at times?

The image of peering over that edge burned in his mind like a fire, like an imprint of a key. Something that would stay there for a very, very long time. The damage had been done. All he had to do was wait. Wait for Reno to wake up... or not.


	2. Chapter 2: Lies and Secrets

**Slip and Fall**

**By: Atomic Kokoro**

**Storyline**

During a game of frisbee, Reno falls off the edge of a high cliff and ends up in the hospital in a coma. Astro and the crew try to cope, waiting for Reno to either wake up... or not.

**Before You Read**

This chapter is a bit odd, but it is importent. Isn't every chapter? Okay, this is a scary chapter for me to write, so, I'm sorry if the test questions are phrased oddly. That stuff happens.

On with the story!

**Chapter 2**

**Lies and Secrets**

**"Ken,"** his mother called up the stairs. "Come down and eat. Supper's ready!"

Ken normally would've paused the video game, or throw his pencil on the desk, cheer, and run down the stairs, since his mother's cooking was the best thing on the planet. But this time, it was different.

The usually high-spirited boy was lying on his stomach on his bed, staring at the wall at the head of the bed, clenching the pillow in his arms. He couldn't figure out why he thought this was all his fault. It was an accident, right? It might've happened whether he rushed Astro or not.

Why did Reno go after the stupid disk when he knew they was on a cliff, and the frisbee was going way faster then he could run, so why did he jump after the stupid flying toy? Why? Reno did a lot of stupid things in his life, but this cut the cake.

Cake? "Ah, d*mn," he cursed, shoving his head into the pillow. He had been so preoccupied by Reno's accident, he forgot it was his sister's birthday tomorrow. He would have to go shopping for her.

He leaned up an looked at the clock beside his bed. It was seven'o'clock. All the stores closed at eight, so he would have to leave now if he wanted to get his sisters present in time. He pulled himself off the bed and grabbed his wallet. "Mom, I have to go out!" he yelled in a much deeper, sadder tone then usual.

His voice had gotten that way over the passed two weeks. His walk pattern, too, had changed to more of a stumble.

He opened the door to see raining pouring apon the few passerbyers on his street. It was heavy rain; thunder and lightening only a few seconds from each other.

Amongst his walk, he had accidentally, and fatefully, walked into Astro who was returning from saving the world. "Sorry," he mumbled, not noticing that it was his friend he had walked into.

"Ken?" Astro muttered in a soft voice. Ken peered over his shoulder.

"Oh. Hi, Astro," he sighed before continuing his way. But it didn't last long.

"Ken, we need to talk," Astro muttered. Ken almost stopped, then thought he would blame it on the thunder later if Astro asked why he refused to stop. "Ken, stop! Please!"

This time, Ken haulted. A second call would ruin all his plans to avoid his talk with Astro, knowing that he would double-check his memory bank if so. "What do _you_ want?" he hissed in an displeased voice.

"Where have you been the last couple days? You missed all your soccor practices and school, and almost everything!" Astro calmed his voice. "I know you're sad, but this is odd, even for you, Ken. And I know this sounds a little...I dunno, mean? But, why do you care so much?"

Ken had been wondering that question for ages. Why _did_ he care? Yes, he and Reno had been friends, but he would've expected Hannah, or Abbie, or Astro, maybe even Zoran to act like this. But him? He...he didn't know. It was how he reacted. He reacted the same way years, years back when something simmiler happened. Though, it was much more tragic.

The dark-skinned boy paused for a moment. "Why do you keep going on with you're life like it never happened?" he shot back, though more calm then Astro would've expected someone like Ken, a much more hot-tempered boy, to respond.

"Because I know Reno wouldn't be happy if I spent all my time worrying about him," the robot replied.

Ken tilited his head back to release some strain from looking down all his walk. The rain on the his neck, his bare arms and face cool his temper, though the heat in his cheeks never ceased. "I act the way I do because I do," he said, like it was the most simple thing in the world. "Maybe because I wonder if there is someone to blame, or not."

Astro shook his head. "Are you stupid? It was an accident; stuff like this happens all the time."

"That's what my mom said when I was little," he bearly whispered. "Leave me alone. I have to buy a present for my sister."

And with that, he disappeared into a wall of rain. A single flash of lightening showed Astro Ken hadn't even bothered to put on a coat.

...

**He had gotten her a Teddy Bear for her fourth birthday.** She jumped up and down when she saw the bear that she could hold against her chest; not too big or too small. The only thing that made him smile was to watch that girl go play tea party or whatever.

It also felt nice to be hugged when she got the bear. She named him Teddy (such a typical name for a bear) and brought that bear everywhere she went.

Ken almost wished he could talk to _her_ about how he felt, but she was too young for him to burden his feelings on her. He knew that no one would understand but her. It was amazing what one little child could do to effect his very life.

...

**A few more weeks passed.** Nothing. Reno was still in his unconscious state, and Ken was beginning to suffer more then just nightmares from it. His mother noticed he was beginning to rub his shoulder a lot, and brought him to the doctor for a small physical examination.

Nothing came up, but the doctor was smart enough to recall Ken and Reno's relationship (as friends), and Ken's past, so he brought up depression. Ken quickly dismissed it, but his mother decided that it was a possiblity.

The doctor got Ken to take a small test. Ken knew how to get around these sorts of things by lying, but there was no way this doctor knew him enough to get a lying detector. In, which case, the doctor did actually bring a lying detector to the test.

Ken growled at the thought of being proven wrong but proceeded under his mother's watchful eye. Very watchful eye.

"Okay. We'll start by the simple basics," the doctor began when he sat down. "What is your name?"

"Kennedy," he muttered.

"How old are you?"

"Nine."

"Very good," the doctor said, writing a few notes down on a peice of paper. "Have you, or any family member, suffered from depression before?"

Ken shook his head.

"How often are you sad?" Ken paused. It was phrased quite oddly, so he simply shrugged. "No reply?" the doctor exhaled. Ken shook his head.

"None for you to hear," the boy simply replied.

The doctor sighed and wrote something down. "Have you ever thought of suicide?"

"No."

"Hurting someone, or yourself?"

"No."

"Do you have regrets of the event that recently happened with Reno?"

Ken stopped for a moment. He felt some swell inside like he had been stabbed with a knife. What sort of question was it? It was a stupid question. It wasn't any of the doctor's buisness, or concern, or whatever!

"N-no..."


	3. Chapter 3: The Last Tear

**Slip and Fall**

**By: Atomic Kokoro**

**Storyline**

During a game of frisbee, Reno falls off the edge of a high cliff and ends up in the hospital in a coma. Astro and the crew try to cope, waiting for Reno to either wake up... or not.

**Before You Read**

*sigh* Okay. Is it just me, or is this about Ken? Hm...

Also! I know Ken's japanese name is Kenichi, but I have no clue what his last name is, so I improvised. It was a good improvisation! Better then what other people came up with...

On with the story!

**Chapter 3**

**One Last Tear**

**"N-no,"** Ken hesitantly replied. The doctor nodded.

"Okay," he said. "You can go now."

Ken stood an exited the door.

His mother patted her son on the head. "Let's go home, now, Kennedy," she said taking his hand. Ken hung his head. This was getting to hard to take.

...

**Ring. Ring.**

Ken's mother sighed and set down the dish. She reached for the phone and put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hi. Mrs. Kenichi? I've come to talk to you about Kennedy's results," On the opposing line, Ken's mom assumed it was the doctor.

"Yes. It must be importent, if you've called," she said.

There was a sigh. "Could you bring him back to the office? I need to talk to him." Almost as quickly as the question came, there was a click. Ken's mom paused for a moment...

"Oh, my gosh!" she cried. "Kennedy!"

...

**That was it.** That was the final straw! He didn't want people snooping into his feelings, into his mind. This would've never happened if he didn't rush Astro. It was all his fault! Now he had to deal with the doctor and his mom?

Ken had been listening closely to the doctor. He knew the tests showed he was lying for most of the questions. He quietly hung up the phone and backed away from it. It would save so much trouble. So much...pain...

He turned and opened his window. Hadn't it been doing anything else then rain all day and all night? It didn't matter. What mattered was that he could hear his mother scream his name all the way downstaires.

He climbed over the window sill and let himself down. He almost broke his ankle, which would releaved more pain then caused. Any physical pain would do.

_Oh, my gosh,_ he realized. _I'm emo!_

That was a thought he would never imagine. He got to his feet and raced through down the street. There was only one place he could think of that would bring peace back to him...forever...

...

**She quickly selected the speed dial.** It was wonderful when her son forgot his cellphone at home, and that his friend was a life saving robot. "Please pick up," she begged on the inside. "Please, please, please..."

"Hello?" came a voice from the other end.

"Astro?" she questioned.

"Mrs. Kenichi?"

"Astro, Ken's missing," she blutered out. The robot blinked.

"What? Why?"

Mrs. Kenichi shook her head. "The doctor's results came in and Ken's depressed. And, if I was one to know, he always had been."

Astro said nothing for a moment, and finally spoke up. "What do you mean?"

"It's a long story..."

...

**Ken stared over the edge.** The bottom. The rocks were still visible, even though the water rushed over them and disappeared.

The image of staring over that edge flashed through his mind.

...

"_Astro, are you okay?" Alejo asked._

_"Yeah, I'm fine," Behind him, there was commotion; Sierns blaring, light flashing. Yet Ken stared on at the bottom. He could see his friend, one of the quietest ones. No one knew the quiet friendship between the two._

_Yet there was Reno, lying at the bottom of the cliff. Such a bloody, painful scene. How long had he been lying there for, just watching the laps lick the deer skin red hair on the unconscious boy?_

_Hand grabbed him by the arms and roughly pulled him back away from the edge. He wanted to cry, scream, struggle...but he was frozen. Frozen is dispair and pain. In worry and fear. In regret..._

...

**Ken hugged himself, fingernails digging into his skin.** The image of that day, the memory, flashed through his mind over and over. He felt warm tears drip down his cheeks. Why did that have to happen? Why couldn't he have been the one to fall?

"Ken?" a quiet, famillier voice called. Ken didn't bother to turn and look at his visitor, the witness.

"I don't understand," he whispered. "I really don't."

Astro stepped foreward, his red boot sinking a bit into some mud in the grass. "Don't understand what?" Ken took a step foreward as well, closing in on the edge. Only a few more steps and...

"Why this had to happen," he replied. "This is all my fault,"

Ken took another step foreward, causing Astro to take in a small gasp before relaxing. "This isn't your fault, Ken. Reno's gonna be okay,"

Ken didn't respond to the robot's assurance. "Isn't it amazing how one small step, for one small person, can make so much difference?" he muttered, his voice on the edge of..._insanity_.

"You don't want to do this, Ken," Astro stepped foreward and brought his hand up to place it on Ken's shoulder.

"Stop," Ken ordered quietly before Astro was even halfway there. Astro obeyed. "You don't understand. You're trying to save me, but you don't understand you're saving something you don't even know."

Astro put his hand down. "Yes, I do," he simply replied, earning a gasp from Ken. "I know about what happened to you and your dad. Your mom told me."

Ken clenched his head in his hands as memories flashed. "Why do you care?" he cried. "Why do you _care_?"

"Because you're my friend, Ken! I don't want you to get hurt! ...Or worse!"

Ken stepped foreward, even worse memories flashing through his mind.

...

_**"Are you excited, Ken?"**__ his father asked, changing into the correct lane. Seven-year-old Ken nodded in amuzment._

_"I can't wait! I'm glad you could keep your promise!" he cheered._

_"I've been keep you waiting for far too long," his father said. "I decided I shouldn't keep you waiting anymore."_

_Ken wiggled in the front seat. Not only was he going to see the sunset by the old lighthouse, but he got to sit in the front seat, too! "This is going to be awesome!" Even if it was just a short fifteen, twenty minutes of doing nothin, it was spending time with his dad that made it all worthwhile._

...

**"No!"** Ken hissed. "Go away! _Just go away!_"

Astro stood his ground, as he watched Ken stepped foreward. "I know it's hard to be back someplace where _two _deaths occured, both connected to you," he said.

Ken inched foreward.

...

_**"Hey, look!"**__ Ken yelped, running to the edge and looking over. At the bottom was a cluster of baby sea turtles heading out into the ocean. "How cool!"_

_His father kneeled down beside Ken. "They're sea turtles. They're going out into the ocean to swim with the other baby sea turtles." Ken smiled. It wasn't long before he turned his attention back to the sun. And, above it, was the moon._

_"Hey! The moon's up early!" Ken giggled jumping into his father's arms and pointing at it._

_"Yep," His father held Ken closer as the two stared at the moon above the sun. "You know, one of the most memoriable lines said on the moon was-"_

_"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!" Ken finished._

_"Very good," his father applauded._

_A moment passed. "Ken," his father began. Ken looked up at his father. "I need to lie down for a minute."_

_Ken got off his father's lap as his father lied in the grass. Ken smirked and lied down in the grass beside him._

_They stared at the twinkling stars above them. The bright northern star above their head and the full moon shining them. The night bird sang and the crickets chirped. The soft grass made it all the more enjoyable._

...

**Ken whimpered. **He took one last step foreward.

"You're dad passed away while lying in the grass with you," Astro said, sorrow and worry on the edge of his tone. "I understand you feel it's your fault, because it was only you there."

Ken glared at the bottom of the cliff. Astro continued. "He passed away, watching the stars with his son in the soft grass, and the beautiful night. Who could ask for a better death?"

Ken broke into a sob, still hugging his chest, breaking the skin on his arms, shaking his head. "I...I..." Ken looked up towards the sky, where stars had began to show through the breaking grey clouds.

He continued to stare at them, until he took a deep breath and calmed his nerves. And his gaze turned back to the ground. A small moment passed, and nothing seemed to happen. Then, the rain softly let up. So slowly, it felt as though an hour had passed.

A full moon hung in the sky, making it bright enough to see everything. Astro waited for Ken to clear his mind.

Then, Ken began to whisper just loud enough for Astro to hear: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind..."

And he stepped foreward.

**The** **End**

**After You Read**

I know some of you hate me and the story right now because there are so many question unanswered: Did Ken survive, did Reno live, how were Alejo and Ambercrombie and everyone else effected by this, what did Astro do when Ken stepped foreward, so on, so forth.

Well, _maybe_ I'll write a sequal. If you kids are good and give me a review.

For now, I will be working on a special surprise for those of you who had read "The Inevitable".

As my friend of mine used to say...say something funny while their thinking your going to say something sentimental. Goodbye!


End file.
